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It's said that airplanes don't win wars, it's the people that fly them. More than sixty years ago, thousands of young Americans put themselves in harms way in the skies over Europe to set the whole world free.
I grew up in England listening to stories about what is was like to see an
airborne armada of hundreds of airplanes heading out on a mission and what it was like to see the survivors return, many carrying the scars of battle.
The price they paid was high, of the 291,508 missions flown by B-17's alone ~ a total of 4,688 aircraft fell in combat. Each airplane carried a crew of 10 men and an operational tour with the Eighth Air Force lasted 25 missions, which meant that a lot of men would never get to go home, they would make the ultimate sacrifice ....... Present day warbird operators keep the memories of the past alive.
By keeping the last few B-17's airworthy, new generations
can learn about the Flying Fortress and the men that flew them. And sometimes today's aviators
let people like me ride along ....... Thanks to Bruce Philpott, on July 31st 2006, I was granted a rare opportunity to fly with the crew of Thunderbird, which is operated by the Lone Star Flight Museum, out
of Galveston, in Texas. Today's objective is a cross country flight from Oshkosh, to position the aircraft at Willow Run, which would be the venue for the following weekend's Thunder Over Michigan Air show. In addition to riding along, I got to spend a little time sitting at the controls in the cockpit and
flew 'Thunderbird' on instruments from the co-pilots seat. And let me admit that apart from the huge privilege, its also hard work ! As the days have rolled by since then, I've had time to reflect on what it must have been like some sixty years ago. To circle a beacon in thick cloud as hundreds of airplanes tried to jockey into their correct places, or to hold an assigned position in a formation for hour after hour and bring it home, damaged, with wounded on board and low on fuel .......
I've developed a new level of respect for those who flew these magnificent castles in the sky in the past. I think too of how effortless today's airmen make it seem, as they smoothly fly this big bomber on their mission today, to "keep 'em flying" for future generations to see. To the crew of Thunderbird, pilot Al Maxwell and co-pilot LSFM's President ~ Larry Gregory, plus Cliff and Shirley Spencer, Jim and John Cowart and of course Bruce Philpott .... my thanks. Like every other warbird operator ~ the Lone Star Flight Museum needs our help to keep these
flying legends airworthy ~ click here
or on the logo on in the left hand panel. |
